What should I expect from the first visit?
The first session is 90 minutes and involves an in-depth health history and current health assessment. After this is completed, pulses are taken and the tongue is examined in order to better understand the internal state of your body. Once these diagnostic procedures are completed, you will be presented with a treatment strategy, in which you will be asked to be an active and willing participant. If you are comfortable with the plan that has been set forth, treatment will follow; if you are not, alternatives will be provided and a new plan created.

How often do I need to have treatment?
Typically, treatment is performed once a week; however, as is always the case with Chinese Medicine, rules and common practices give way to individual needs. If a patient requires several visits a week  for instance in an acute condition  arrangements will be made. If a patient prefers to have less frequent visits, this can also be accommodated. Follow-up visits are generally briefer, lasting around 60 minutes.

How soon will I be cured?
Each patient’s journey to wellness is different. As a rule, chronic, degenerative, long-term conditions take longer to improve than acute, short-term conditions. It is important to remember that health is dynamic; “perfect” health does not exist. Our health is always changing and ever in flux, much as we human beings are always changing. In fact, if we are not changing, we are more likely to become “stuck,” engendering blockages, interruptions to the smooth flow of Qi, and disease. As with any medical treatment, the commitment of the patient and practitioner are paramount.

Will being needled hurt?
Different people experience sensation in different ways. Generally speaking, most people find acupuncture needles to be relatively painless. They are sterilized, single-use, disposable needles that are often not much thicker than a hair. There may be a pinching sensation upon initial insertion, after which most people feel very little. If at any point you are uncomfortable, you should feel free to say so and we will adjust to your needs. A word of advice: being well-hydrated significantly reduces any discomfort that may be associated with being needled.

Are the needles used safe?
Only FDA-approved sterile, single-use, disposable needles are used in treatments. They are disposed of immediately following withdrawal and are never reused.

Are there other forms of treatment or modalities besides neeling?
There are several adjunct therapies associated with the practice of acupuncture: